(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to removable chimney caps and more particularly to a self-locking chimney cap which is screwless.
(b) Description of Prior Art
Materials generally used to build chimneys, such as brick and mortar, are porous and thus susceptible to weather conditions. Chimney caps, or rain covers, are therefore generally installed on chimneys to prevent rain and snow from deteriorating the chimney, and to prevent leaves, branches, birds and other animals from entering the chimney and causing a blockage thereof and a fire hazard. Chimney caps also arrest sparks from igniting combustible material neighboring the chimney and may eliminate wind-induced downdrafts. Chimney caps are generally made from a variety of materials such as galvanized sheet-metal, stainless steel and copper. Liners such as of the flexible coiled type are often installed into the flue cavity of the chimney for heat insulation.
Chimney caps need to be periodically removed to allow the chimneys and venting systems to be inspected and maintained, to avoid fire hazards and the like.
Removable chimney caps are known. Chimney caps of the removable type usually comprise a base plate screwed to the chimney around the opening thereof and a tube mounted to the base plate. A removable rain cap is then mounted to the tube and secured thereto using clamps, screws or the like.
A problem with such a securement is that the rain cap can not be readily removed from the base plate without the use of appropriate tools, which renders the removal of the chimney cap a multiple-step maneuver, which is hazardous and time consuming.
It would therefore be highly desirable to provide a chimney cap which would be manually locked and unlocked in a single step, without the use of tools.